


autoclave

by novakid



Category: Borderlands
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2016-04-29
Packaged: 2018-06-05 06:56:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6694024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/novakid/pseuds/novakid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Do you want to talk?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	autoclave

Athena was good at fighting. She could break ten necks lined up all together with a simple toss of her Apis. She could shoot any and all types of guns with perfect skill and marksmanship with her eyes closed. She could crush a man’s head between her thighs. 

Athena wasn’t good with  _ people. _ She didn’t know how to talk to them when it wasn’t purely business. Sympathy was foreign to her. The first times she felt it, she thought she was feeling vertigo. Comforting people? Definitely not something she would put on her resume. Friends? What a mess. 

Love? Well…

Athena had just moved in with Janey. They went on many dates. She spent hours listening to Springs ramble on about her job, her childhood, her former lovers, the Crackening, her friends, and everything that lead her to where she was now. They spent so much time together. In fact, that was the reason Athena moved in. “Ya know, ‘Thena, you spend so much time here that it’s almost as if ya practically live here.” She couldn't deny that, which was why she gave little resistance when Janey suggested her to move in.

But you can’t build a relationship by just listening. Athena realized this one day during a conversation over breakfast. 

“We don’t chatta that often, but every now and ‘gain, my mum calls me up. Usually ‘round the holidays. The whole family comes over for a dinner. Maybe the next time that happens, you could call your family over. I could probably pay for a shuttle ride if they’re far.”

That struck a nerve with Athena. Janey, intuitive Janey, noticed her girlfriend’s silence. Softer than before, she asked, “...’Thena? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” It was a reflex response. She wish that her inflection hadn’t gotten the better of her. Sounding casual about it was obviously out of the question. 

“No no, now ya lyin’ to me.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong?”

They both narrowed their eyes at each other. Athena was obviously irritated, and now Springs was. 

“You’re upset.”

“Well, perhaps I wouldn’t be upset if you didn’t push this subject that I obviously don’t want to talk about.”

That earned Athena a brief, breath scoff from Janey. She crossed her arms and looked at the Gladiator full on, instead of from the side . “Well, how was I supposed to know? It’s not like you tell me anythin’ about.... Anything!” Her bewildered grin turned into a frown. “Now that I think of it, yeah… I haven’t a slightest clue about you. You never say a damn thing while you let me yabber on ‘til I’m crook.”

Athena felt it. The guilt. She didn’t know why. She shouldn’t be upset. She’s allowed to keep information to herself. She wasn’t in the wrong. And yet… why did she feel such a heavy weight in her chest?

Janey let out a tired, frustrated sigh when she got no response from Athena. “You know, it’s almost as if I’m dating a stranger.”

It hurt. It hurt to hear that. It hurt to watch Janey fold her napkin and throw her dishes in the sink. And it hurt to watch her leave for the door.

“Springs, wait-”

And she did. When mechanic stopped and turned to Athena, she found herself at a loss of words. What was she even going to say? Why did she stop Janey if she wasn’t prepared to fix what she had just cracked? “I, I ah, I’m…”

Springs waited in silence as Athena stammered. It soon slowed to a stop, and the Gladiator was quiet once more. Defeated, for what it felt like the first time in years. 

“Righto.” Janey said, with a bitter smile. She nodded slowly and turned away. “Call me when you want to have a conversation with Zack.”

And then, Athena was alone. It felt like her heart dropped down to her stomach. She wasn’t a cryer. No, all her tears dried up back in Atlas. But she felt an unfamiliar stinging at her eyes. Perhaps she  felt them once before, back when…

Not going to think about  _ that.  _

She got up and headed out. Shooting always kept her mind off of things. Triton flats always had plenty of scavs that needed clearing out. She was there for less than an hour. For some reason beyond her, Athena’s aim had gone to shit. She almost gotten herself killed before she decided to give up and go back to Concordia. 

She stopped well before the entrance of the city with the sudden realization that she couldn’t go back to Janey’s place just yet. She wasn’t ready. Wasn’t prepared. Didn’t know what to say, what to do. She barely had friends before meeting the other vault hunters Jack employed. Hell, they were hardly her friends. They were all in it for the money, Athena included. Except for maybe Claptrap, who had no choice. But he definitely wasn’t her friend. Wilhelm, Nisha, and Aurelia weren’t friendly at all. And the body double… He was so reclusive, even when he was mimicking Jack. Even when Athena tried keeping things professional between them, she couldn’t help but to try to reach out to him. She regretted not trying harder. Maybe if she had, it wouldn’t be such a wild idea to call him up and maybe ask for help…

“What a joke.” She murmured to herself. She went into Concordia and went to the motel farthest away from Janey’s place. She needed time to relax and dress her wounds. 

There, she showered, patched herself up, and laid on the bed. Closed her eyes… and dreamed.

* * *

 

_ Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got _

She dreamed she was in Helios. She could see herself, as if she was a phantom watching her own body from the outside. She saw a Hyperion outfit. Probably what would have happened if she hadn’t had Janey to go to. That or back to the deserts of Pandora…

_ Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot. _

And she wasn’t sure how, but when she looked at herself in her dream, she could see inside. 

_ Wouldn't you like to get away? _

It was empty. Completely hollow. 

_ Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, _

She saw Handsome Jack too. The horror that he had become. 

_ And they're always glad you came. _

And she saw RED. So much red. More than she ever had with Atlas. 

_ You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same _

She saw Pandora aflame, just like Jack said back in the vault Just like he wanted. 

_ You wanna be where everybody knows your name… _

* * *

 

Athena woke up in a cold sweat. To her left, the alarm was going off with the song she realized that had plagued her dream. She turned it off.

She checked out of the motel and sprinted straight to Spring’s Emporium O’ Stuff.

She was panting heavily when she saw her. Janey was wide eyed, tinkering with a laser in her office. She was about to ask what the commotion was about before Athena cut her off. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Springs. I got caught up in you. I got so caught up in you and how you make me feel and I never, ever want to burden you with all this  _ bullshit  _ baggage that I have. The last thing I want to do is distance you from me but… that’s all I’ve been doing, haven’t I?” 

Now Janey was the one who was speechless. Even if she tried, she wouldn't have been able to get a word in. Athena continued, “I don’t know how… I mean. I never imagined anyone caring about me the way you do. Never in all my life. I’m not the type of person people make a life with. But with you… everything feels so different with you. And I don’t want to ruin it.”

Finally, Athena paused. Waited with baited breath. Springs let out a soft sigh. “What are you gonna do to keep it from ruinin’?”

The Gladiator licked her chapped lips nervously and shifted her weight to her other foot. She knew what to do. Her heart was racing. “Do you want to talk?”

Janey, understanding, pulled out a stool next to her. “I’ve got all day.”

Athena nodded and sat next to the other. Took a deep breath. “I suppose… It all started… with Atlas.”

**Author's Note:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sskFjbHu_W0
> 
> Also, the song in the dream sequence is the theme song from Cheers, which is referenced in the song "Autoclave".


End file.
